El portaaviones CATOBAR español: lo que Navantia está diseñando

The Spanish Navy has commissioned Navantia to conduct a feasibility study for Spain's first conventional aircraft carrier in decades. This 40,000-ton vessel could redefine Spain's naval power in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. While France approves the construction of the France Libre aircraft carrier—78,000 tons, nuclear-powered, and equipped with EMALS catapults—and the United Kingdom operates its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers with STOVL configuration, Spain is studying a radically different option: a CATOBAR medium-sized aircraft carrier of approximately 40,000 tons, with conventional propulsion and the capacity to operate up to 25-30 conventional fixed-wing fighters. In this comprehensive analysis, we reveal why the Spanish Navy has deliberately rejected the zero-catapult model operated by Italy and the United Kingdom, and why the choice of the CATOBAR system is not just a technical decision: it is a commitment to European strategic autonomy and future compatibility with the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) fighter in its carrier-based naval version. 🔹 Historical Context and Background — From the Príncipe de Asturias (1982) to the Thai HTMS Chakri Naruebet exported by Navantia (1997): the little-known Spanish naval history. 🔹 The European Aircraft Carrier Landscape — A comparative analysis of the French Charles de Gaulle (42,000 t, nuclear), the Free French PANG (78,000 t, €10.25 billion), the British HMS Queen Elizabeth (up to 80,600 t, STOVL), and the Italian Cavour (30,000 t). Three different strategies facing the same challenge. 🔹 Why Spain Chooses CATOBAR — The three verified technical and strategic reasons: dependence on the F-35B as the sole bottleneck, the incompatibility of the future NGF of the FCAS with a STOVL configuration, and the possibility of operating the French Rafale M carrier-based aircraft carrier. 🔹 Technical specifications of the Spanish aircraft carrier — Estimated displacement of 40,000-48,000 tons, length of 260-270 meters, CODLAG propulsion (without a nuclear reactor), range of 10,000 nautical miles, SPY-7 radar, Aegis system with Sylver VLS launchers (Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles), and EMALS electromagnetic catapults manufactured by General Atomics. 🔹 Industrial viability and costs — Navantia's production pipeline (F-110 frigates, S-80 submarines, new BAC Patiño), the estimated construction cost of €5-6.5 billion, and the 50-year operational lifecycle with annual costs of up to €500 million. 🔹 Export positioning — India (INS Vishal program), Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil as potential markets. And the three real obstacles: ITAR restrictions on EMALS, French industrial competition, and limited financial capacity of customers. 🔹 The FCAS nexus and the final strategic decision — How the viability of the aircraft carrier depends on the FCAS program being completed, and what role Spain can play as the industrial pivot of European carrier-based aviation in 2045. Do you think Spain should invest in a medium-sized CATOBAR aircraft carrier or opt for a more economical STOVL model? Leave your opinion in the comments: it's one of the most important naval decisions of the next 50 years. 🔔 Subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications so you don't miss any analyses of Spanish military projects. 👍 If you found the video helpful, a "like" greatly helps it reach more people interested in defense. [INSERT LINK Patreon / Social Media] #SpanishNavy #Defense #Navantia #ArmedForces #SpanishMilitary